MY WEDDING IN MANIFESTATIONS ART COUTURE
Estonian-born, UK-based Ludmila Brown is a passionate entrepreneur currently building a wellbeing platform for “things that bring you peace and let you do good” (serenityworld.org). Having made “a crazy decision” to get married in Scotland with less than a month to plan (two weeks of which she had to spend in the US where she’s moving next), Ludmila assumed her wedding dress would have to be bought in a shop – but serendipity led her to a spectacular red Manifestations coat instead
How did you discover Manifestations?
I met Aigana at an exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery in Mayfair a couple of years ago. We talked late into the evening and it felt like we’d known each other forever.
…on personal style
In the grey winter weather, I like to wear something that brightens up the day alongside natural colours. I’d never wear anything too short, sparkly or shiny. I’m quite brave in what I wear but I need to make sure it suits my body. I like the elegance of Max Mara and Amanda Wakeley’s silk dresses. Aigana’s pieces are definitely the most unusual things I wear.
What was your first Manifestations piece?
My first piece was a red Shaman jacket. It’s unique so you feel unique wearing it. I love how Aigana uses such high-quality natural fabrics – silk and cashmere – that feel great on. Aigana has a very special energy – when you wear her art you feel special too. It’s like when you go to somebody’s house and feel something about them; the jacket gives people a sense of something special about you.
Tell us the story of your wedding outfit.
Well, we’re moving to the US soon because of my husband’s work and we made this crazy decision to get married in Edinburgh with less than a month to plan it – two weeks of which we had to spend in America.
I wanted something special but not a standard wedding dress. I know Aigana could have made something amazing but there just wasn’t time so we had to think outside the box. I found a simple champagne-coloured silk Joseph dress and Aigana agreed to add a touch of hand-painted decoration to make it unique. This seemed an ideal solution but when the dress arrived in my size the material was faulty. It was unwearable and I only had one week until the wedding. I bought one dress, then another: nothing was right. I found a white Alexander McQueen suit that I liked but nowhere in the UK had my size. I was desperately scrolling Instagram looking for anything white when Aigana invited me to try some of her pieces.
What aspect called to you?
The coat depicts a mythic love story between a heron and an antelope and emphasises how no one can explain love or how people find each other. I liked how it looked but the meaning also attracted me: the elements of nature and history.
“Herron in Love” Swallow Cape, the story behind the art….
“The story goes far beyond time... he saw her dark hypnotic eyes one day at the lake, all he could see just these two shining stars , nothing around... He could not think anything else , but these eyes now. The lake was his home, for her just a place to refresh... she would not come every day, and every day he lived this sweet torture of waiting for the moment, when her graceful silhouette would appear at the horizon, melting in hot savanna air. One day she stayed, he lost himself in this beauty. He was a Heron, she was an Antelope. No one can explain how love chooses one another...”
Aigana Gali
It’s an unconventional choice for a wedding. How did people react?
I had wanted to surprise my husband but then he needed to see that it wasn’t too crazy. He liked it and it also worked beautifully with the antique Baroque tapestries of our wedding venue, Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.
What do you manifest when you wear it?
I felt so great and natural wearing it: like a queen. I’ll definitely wear it again. I’m moving to Raleigh, North Carolina, and have already met some people and visited galleries there. I can see that wearing the coat will carry great memories and make me feel protected, confident and safe.
What does it express about you?
A few years ago, I started painting and at the same time started dressing more expressively. Whatever Aigana creates I fall in love with. Not everyone will be brave enough to wear it so, for me, it represents braveness and character. When I moved from London to Edinburgh a year ago, I went out a lot and met interesting people. Whenever I wore it, people would stop and say, “Wow”. You can feel the soul.
Is there a synergy between your interior style and how you dress?
Yes, my interiors are simple and elegant with elements of history; I never go for plain, one-colour modernism. I like something artistic, such as a vase or statue, as a point of focus and then to keep the rest – walls and sofas – calm and natural.
What’s on your wishlist?
I’d like to create some designs that incorporate my own paintings printed on silk and I’ll definitely buy more from Aigana.